Martha Hedman

Martha Hedman
Photo of Hedman, published in 1915
Born	Martha Hedman August 12, 1883 Östersund, Sweden
Died	June 20, 1974 Deland, Florida, United States
Years active	1905–1942
Spouse	Henry Arthur House

Martha Hedman (August 12, 1883 – June 20, 1974) was a Swedish-American stage actress popular on the Broadway stage.

Biography

She was born to Johan Hedman and Ingrid Kempe in Östersund, in Jämtland County, Sweden. She studied for the stage under the tutelage of Siri von Essen the wife of playwright and novelist, August Strindberg. She first appeared on the stage in February 1905 in Helsinki, Finland^[1] in a Hans Christen Andersen fairy tale. For the next six years appeared in Sweden, Finland and Germany in plays by William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, Gerhardt Hauptmann and Ludwig Fulda.

In 1912 theatrical producer Charles Frohman brought Hedman to America and she acted with such luminaries as John Drew.^[2] She appears in several of Charles Frohman's productions. In 1915, she appeared in The Trap produced by Arthur Hammerstein. One of her more notable performance was in the 1915-1916 comedy The Boomerang, produced by David Belasco. In 1921 she appeared in a big Shakespearean pageant on Broadway with several other top actresses of the period. She retired from the theater in 1922 but came back in 1942 for one play The First Crocus.^[3][4]

She appeared in one film The Cub directed by Maurice Tourneur in 1915. Most likely she cared not for the experience and did not return to pictures. Hedman in her youth however was famous on the stage. This is more the reason modern audiences have never heard of her in contrast to fellow Swedish born actresses like Anna Q. Nilsson and Greta Garbo who both had lengthy film careers.^[5]

During the first year of her career as an actress, she had toured with German born actor Emile von der Osten (1848–1905). She had a daughter with von der Osten, Ella Alfrida born on August 30, 1904 in Stockholm, Sweden. Hedman was later married to Henry Arthur House with whom she co-wrote a play What's the Big Idea in 1926.^[6][7]

Martha Hedman wrote a book Uncle, Aunt and Jezabel (Charles Scribner's Sons, New York: 1949). The dedication reads: "To Henry Arthur -the winter of our discontent was turned into glorious summer". She subsequently wrote Mathias and Mathilda (Chapman & Hall. 1951) written under the name, Martha Hedman House.

References

1. ^ Hans J. Wollstein (1994). Strangers in Hollywood: the history of Scandinavian actors in American films from 1910 to World War II. Scarecrow Press. pp. 156–7. ISBN 9780810829381. http://books.google.com/books?id=EPkqAQAAIAAJ. Retrieved 27 July 2010. 
2. ^ Frohman Bringing Martha Hedman Here to Play In "The Attack." (new York Times. May 10, 1912)
3. ^ Who Was Who in the Theatre 1912–1976 compiled from John Parker's original records published annually; 1976 version compiled by Gale Research
4. ^ Pictorial History of the American Theatre 1860–1970 by Daniel Blum; c.1970 updated edition
5. ^ Martha Hedman Internet Movie Database(IMDb.com)
6. ^ The Theatre: New Plays: What's The Big Idea? (New York Times. Apr. 5, 1926)
7. ^ Severin, Ella Alfrida (Hobcaw Plantation Cemeteries)

External links

• Martha Hedman' at the IMDb.com database
• Martha Hedman at IBDb.com database
• lithograph of Martha Hedman
• Martha Hedman image gallery at the NY Public Library Billy Rose Collection
• Martha Hedman side profile portrait, Univ. of Washington, Sayre Collection
• portrait of Martha Hedman (moviecard)

Persondata
Name	Hedman, Martha
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 12, 1883
Place of birth	Östersund, Sweden
Date of death	June 20, 1974
Place of death	Deland, Florida